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2 weeks ago | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Pranay Rajiv |Jonathan Selvaraj |Dhruva Prasad
Nothing unnerves a track coach more than a baton exchange in a sprint relay. You could have the fastest runners at your disposal, but even a slightly flawed handover can spell disaster for a relay team. For Indian sprint coach James Hillier, however, the three 30-metre baton exchange zones on a 100m relay track aren’t looming pitfalls. He sees them as fast-moving windows of opportunity — zones that could launch his team into the world’s elite.
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2 weeks ago | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Santadeep Dey |Dhruva Prasad
Maharashtra has, time and again, managed to convince that its on-field prowess isn’t a sporting fluke. The seventh edition of the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in Bihar was no different, as Maharashtra’s Under-18 athletes completed a hat-trick of team championships in the multi-discipline event. The state not only accounted for close to 17 per cent of the medals on offer, but also ensured there was daylight on the tally between itself and second-placed Haryana.
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1 month ago | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Dhruva Prasad |Shayan Acharya
Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals, sitting pretty in the top three of the Indian Premier League standings, are more than the sum of their parts.
While the evolution of slam-bang cricket glorifies runaway brilliance and outlandish guts, GT and DC exemplify the value of collective effort. They will hope to reiterate that when they meet in an afternoon game at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Saturday.
With the mercury touching 40 degrees Celsius, it will be as much a test of fitness as of skill.
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2 months ago | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Sahil Mathur |Dhruva Prasad |S. Dipak Ragav |Ryan Fernando
Captain: Hardik Pandya Coach: Mahela Jayawardene Home Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Best Finishes: Champions (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) Last Season: 10th Key Stats 1. PowerPlay Dominance 5.28 – Since 2023, Jasprit Bumrah has dominated the PowerPlay across all T20s, with a 63.8% dot-ball percentage while conceding boundaries on just 12.85% of deliveries. In the IPL, he has been even tighter (6.00 economy, 62.6% dots).
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2 months ago | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Dhruva Prasad |Pranay Rajiv |S. Dipak Ragav |Ryan Fernando
Captain: Sanju Samson Coach: Rahul Dravid Home Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur / Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Best Finish: Champions (2008) Last Season: Third Key Stats 1. PowerPlay Dominance at Risk 8.08 – Rajasthan Royals’ economy rate in the PowerPlay since 2023, the best among all teams.
RR has thrived with the ball in the first six overs, thanks to Trent Boult’s impact.
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2 months ago | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Dhruva Prasad |Pranay Rajiv |S. Dipak Ragav |Ryan Fernando
Captain: Shubman Gill Coach: Ashish Nehra Home Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Best Finish: Champion (2022) Last Season: EighthKey Stats1. PowerPlay Struggles 7.72 – Gujarat Titans’ run rate in the PowerPlay, the lowest in IPL 2024. Despite a strong overall performance in the IPL, GT couldn’t keep up with the rapid PowerPlay scoring rates of teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad (11.17) and Kolkata Knight Riders (11.07).
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Feb 17, 2025 | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Dhruva Prasad |Paul Fein
Once the reigning world champion in both white-ball formats, England bungled two World Cup defences, in 2023 and 2024, leading to changes in the coaching staff and player personnel. However, resisting any knee-jerk reaction regarding captaincy, the team has persisted with Jos Buttler through troubled times, and it will hope the 34-year-old repays the faith by reversing England’s fortunes in the ICC Champions Trophy.
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Jan 15, 2025 | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Anish Pathiyil |Dhruva Prasad |Anil Kumble
The Indian men’s cricket team’s fortunes ebbed and flowed with the vagaries of different formats in 2024, as Rohit Sharma’s men oscillated between the delight of a T20 World Cup win in the Americas and a debilitating Test series defeat against New Zealand at home.
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Jan 15, 2025 | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Dhruva Prasad |Anil Kumble
A couple of kids were screaming their lungs out for Devdutt Padikkal (86, 113b, 8x4, 1x6), their voices echoing across the empty Kotambi Stadium, and the left-hander repaid the faith by helping Karnataka beat defending champion Haryana by five wickets in the semifinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Wednesday. Building on his ton in the quarterfinal, Padikkal anchored a tricky 238-run chase to ensure Karnataka didn’t suffer a fourth semifinal defeat in five seasons.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
sportstar.thehindu.com | Dhruva Prasad |Anil Kumble
Karnataka will be eager to snap its semifinal jinx when it takes on defending champion Haryana in the last-four stage of the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament at the Kotambi Stadium here on Wednesday.
Ever since its fourth title win in 2019-20, the semifinal stage has been a major stumbling block for Karnataka, which has lost three semifinal matches in the subsequent four seasons.
